Kat Graham meets Um Murad

Kat Graham visits Um Murad’s wedding dress shop and beauty salon in Zaatari, Jordan.

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“We were at home when we first heard bombs, one fell next door killing 11 children. It was the worst thing I have ever seen in my whole life. Then my husband was going through a check point when a sniper shot him in the back. He can no longer walk unaided, or work. ”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“I had a wedding dress shop and beauty centre in Syria but it was burnt to the ground. Six months after arriving in Zaatari I opened a beauty salon in my caravan. I managed to get 500 JOD to buy the essentials.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“I was the first one to get dresses into the camp and my reputation as a good businesswoman in Syria preceded me.”

Photo by UNHCR/K. Lathigra/2014.

“Life goes on, even when you’re a refugee. People marry. This shop has been in action for 13 months and I’ve prepared about 700 brides in that time. The best thing about having the business is that I interact with many people, it takes me away from all of the misery that we have been living in.”